Institute of Technology, Sligo has signed a four-year deal with Aurivo Co-operative Society, one of the North West region’s largest employers, for the naming rights to a new state-of-the-art campus facility, which will be officially opened this September.
The construction of a 280-seater lecture and conference space in the heart of the campus is nearing completion and is to be named the Aurivo Auditorium.
The new facility, situated in IT Sligo’s main building, will be opened by Irish Nobel Prize winner Professor William C Campbell, who is a native of the North West.
This exciting project will significantly enhance IT Sligo’s ability to meet the needs of its students and staff as well as those of the community and regional business.
The Institute is the largest third-level centre in the North West with over 6,000 students. The naming rights partnership cements IT Sligo’s relations with Aurivo, one of the region’s biggest employers.
The Aurivo Auditorium has been designed by Rhatigan Architects (Sligo), and is being built to a high specification with the latest audio and visual systems by Boyle Construction (Donegal).
In addition to the naming rights, the agreement with Aurivo will see:
- The IT Sligo logo and marketing messages appearing on several of Aurivo’s Connacht Gold milk products.
- The partnership will also enable Aurivo to use the auditorium for the co-operative’s principal conferences and AGM each year.
Announcing the new collaboration at IT Sligo on Wednesday, Professor Vincent Cunnane, President of IT Sligo, said: “This is a facility which will be an important academic resource for the Institute’s students and staff, but it is also a facility for Sligo and the wider community. Bringing people to our campus is one of the best ways enhance our engagement with the community. That is what makes this new relationship with Aurivo a very good fit.”
Aurivo is one of Ireland’s leading multi-purpose co-operatives with businesses in dairy ingredients, consumer foods, retail stores, animal feeds, and livestock marts. The co-op has 10,000 shareholders, employs over 600 people, exports dairy ingredients to almost 50 countries worldwide, and has a turnover of €420m in 2015.
Aaron Forde, Chief Executive of Aurivo said: “As a globally focussed agribusiness headquartered in Sligo, it’s fitting that Aurivo is collaborating with one of Ireland’s most successful third level educational institutions. Education and industry partnerships are crucial in delivering a strong knowledge base and enhanced economic development, and Aurivo is delighted to partner with IT Sligo on this innovative initiative.”
The official opening of the new Aurivo Auditorium will take place in September, and is the latest in series of capital developments by IT Sligo.
Photo caption:
(L-R): Aaron Forde – Chief Executive of Aurivo, Pat Duffy – Chairman of Aurivo and Professor Vincent Cunnane – President of IT Sligo share a light moment in the new Instittute’s new ‘Aurivo Auditorium’ which will be officially opened this September.